


Sleepless in Hereford

by ShadeOps21



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Flirty, Fluffy, FuckYeahRainbowSix, Operation: Consent, Some moderate sexual references, no smut though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 17:21:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20549867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadeOps21/pseuds/ShadeOps21
Summary: Jackal's no stranger to spending all night awake on base, but it does help when he has someone to spend that time with...





	Sleepless in Hereford

If either Gustave, Olivier, or Lera ever handed him a detailed copy of his latest blood-work and found that he consisted of more caffeine and stimulants than he did actual  _ blood _ , Ryad would find himself hard pressed to admit that he would be surprised by that information. Such was life as an insomniac with an inability to obtain a single night of uninterrupted and restful sleep.

The key words there were uninterrupted and restful. Sure, there had been times where Gustave had put him under for his own health and well being for a night, but he never felt fully rested upon waking; most likely a side effect of whatever anesthetic combination that their medic decided to use that night. And sleeping pills… well, they had their own problems: they didn’t work and had no effect at all, positive or negative; they did work but not for as long as he hoped; they did work but and gave him nightmares; or they didn’t work and ended up increasing his fatigue and sense of paranoia.

Very rarely, if ever, did Ryad manage to sleep by his own will, and even on those rare occasions the amount of actual deep sleep he achieved was fleeting at best. On nights like those, he’d inevitably wake up and migrate to the empty lounge room. Occasionally he’d bump into other members of the team: Meghan, who sometimes worked late on intel analysis and reports for the unit on one of their worn out but still comfortable couches; Emmanuelle and/or Masaru, often making their way to and from the small kitchenette in the corner for another round of coffee as they tinkered away on their drones through the night; Max, typically on his phone and catching up with his wife back home in Australia where it was getting into midday.

The fact that their little home away from home never really ‘slept’ was a comforting detail for Ryad, granting him the feeling that he wasn’t alone during his sleepless nights. If anything, it allowed him to have a sense of security that if he started to slip, someone would be there to help him when he needed it. He often wondered exactly how a man in his position with his kind of condition was allowed to remain active duty, and be part of a major international unit no less.

But then he thought of the other rather interesting members of their little ‘family’ and the mysterious ways their director, Harry, worked, and wrote it off as nothing more out of the ordinary. If the addition of a woman that everyone only knew of as Nøkk, who apparently had more black lines through their personnel record than readable text, was any indication, then Ryad had nothing to worry about.

“You know, if it were anyone else, I’d begin scolding them about staying up so late,” a voice from the room’s entrance pulled Ryad from his musings, and with a tired smile he looked up to find his fellow GEO officer, Elena, resting her weight against the door jam with arms crossed over her chest, “But I’d have better odds of lifting  _ Le Roc _ with an arm tied behind my back than ever talking you into a bed.” Her voice held a playful lilt to it.

“You’d rather re-engineer that shield before you attempt anything else of the sort,” Ryad shot back with a smirk, amused when Elena merely rolled her eyes in response.

She sighed and pushed off the doorway, making her way over to the couch where Ryad sat and took a space beside him, “Believe me, I’d love to, but the man is too attached to that hunk of metal to even consider switching to something more lightweight and easier to manoeuvre.”

Ryad chucked, “What is it that Jensen and Brunsmeier say? ‘If it’s ain’t broke-”

“‘-Don’t fix it’,” Elena finished with a groan, adding to Ryad’s amusement even more, “ _ Madre _ , if I had an Euro for every time someone said that to me whenever I even hint at potential upgrades or revamps to their precious gadgets…”

Ryad shook his head in sympathy, understanding the frustrations that his colleague was venting about. “What are  _ you _ doing up so late?” He prompted, turning her earlier unspoken question back onto her. “Has Six got you working on more of those reports?”

“No, just couldn’t sleep, much like a certain person on this couch,” she shot with a smile, “Not even a session with my own personal gadgets was able to make me tired.”

It took a few seconds longer than Ryad would ever admit to realise that Elena was not referring to her Black Mirrors. And despite himself, he couldn’t contain the faint flush to his cheeks at the admission. “That’s unfortunate,” he said quietly, fatigued mind fighting to maintain a sense of decorum and not begin imagining his close friend on her bed, completely undressed, a device of unspecified design firmly grasped in one hand-

“Very much so,” she continued on, blissfully unaware of the growing inner turmoil in Ryad’s head, “Normally I’m ready to sleep after one round, and two puts me down for the count… I had to stop after my third because I was getting over-sensitive.” Mira let her head rock back against the edge of the couch, a frustrated sigh rushing past her lips.

Ryad took this moment to stand from the couch and stretch, then make his way over to the kitchenette, noting that Mira was watching him intently after he stole a glance over his shoulder, “Would you like something while I’m up, Elena?”

“Not right at the moment…” she responded, and Ryad set about making himself a coffee. No harm in some caffeine since it was shaping up to be yet another sleepless night in Hereford. With how engrossed he was with the task of preparing his mug and retrieving what he needed for his drink, he failed to hear the light footsteps of Mira approaching him from behind, and it wasn’t until her strong arms encircled his lower torso did he notice her presence, “Unless, you’re in the mood for something a little hotter and stronger than a cup of coffee…”

“Elena…” Ryad muttered quietly, enjoying the warmth of her body pressed against his back.

“Oh, I know what you were thinking earlier,” the smirk was clear in her voice, “I could only guess what you were picturing earlier. Partly the reason why I tell you such things is to watch your reaction.”

Ryad couldn’t help but chuckle at her remark, “Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy, isn’t it? You telling me about how you get off, I squirm, you get off even more.” When he felt her hesitate after his observation, he turned around in her arms and looked at her. “By the way, you of all people  _ know _ that it doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I’m almost fifty years old for heaven’s sake, not very much out there that’ll shake me these days.”

“Doesn’t stop me from worrying,” Elena mumbled into his shirt, hugging herself to his chest.

“Need I remind you just how vivid my imagination can get after I haven’t slept for a bit… I might as well be watching an ultra-high definition movie.

Elene smiled at his remark, “Not a bad thing at all. But you never answered my question.”

“You never gave me a chance.” Ryad shot back with a smirk. “Something hotter and stronger than coffee? If it's with you, Elena, certainly.”


End file.
